Brassiere



S. COUSINS BRASSIERE Filed Feb. 18, 1960 SYDNE COLJSI NS 3,054,408 Patented Sept. 18, 1962 3,054,408 BRASSIERE Sydne Cousins, Westport, Conn. (345 W. 58th St, New York 19, N.Y.) Filed Feb. 18, 196i), Ser. No. 9,526 3 Claims. (Cl. 128-484) The invention relates to an undergarment, and more particularly to a brassiere having improved means for supporting the cups thereof upon the body of a wearer, adapted to function independently of such cups.

The primary and fundamental purpose of a brassiere is to furnish control and support to the breasts. Cups are provided in a 'brassiere to encase the breasts and in order to sufiiciently retain the garment in position upon the body, it is necessary to further provide body-encircling One end of such pair of bands is generally secured to the cups along the side edges thereof and the such bands to be joined at the back of the wearer to complete a body encircling structure. It will be evident that such structure, encompassing the bust of the wearer, is completely responsive to any movements aifecting the thoracic region of the body, as for example, the expansion and contraction of such area caused by breathing, bending, etc. Any pressure or movement, therefore, exerted upon the body-encircling bands, is directly transmitted to the bust cups and consequently to the breasts encased therein.

of the body.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a brassiere which will furnish control and support to the breasts of a wearer without being affected by bodily movements caused by breathing, bending, or the like.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a brassiere having bust cups functionally independent from the body-encircling structure Which retains such cups upon the body of a wearer.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a brassiere which will furnish adequate support Another object of this invention is the provision, in a brassiere, of body encircling portions which will furnish selected points and generally overlapping the outer side edge of each of said bust cups. Such side portion is Provision is further made for the adjustment and/or partial removal of the side portion so as to allow utilization of the brassiere in conformity with fashion trends of the moment. In addition, the brassiere of the present invention is provided with removable shoulder straps so wearer so desires.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those versed in the art,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a brassiere constructed according to the present invention, shown in position upon a wearer;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the brassiere seen from the rear;

FIG. 3 is a view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention with the shoulder straps removed, and side portions partially removed and FIG. 5 is a view of a strapless brassiere according to the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing there is illustrated a brassiere 1i comprising a pair of bust cups 11, 12 formed of a suitable fabric and supported by a rigid or partially rigid reinforcing or stiffening member =13 extending substantially around the periphery of said cups 11, 12 generally in the lower part thereof. Such reinforcing or stiifening member 13 may be of nylon, Dureen, or other plastic material, or if desired, a metal wire may be used.

A media-l portion 14, generally of non-stretchable fabric is provided between said bust cups 11, 12 serving to separate said cups.

A body-encircling structure side portion 24 presently to be described, and a pair of circle the body and be retained in a desired position upon the body of a wearer.

Since both cups r11, 12 are substantially identical, reference will be made to one such cup in the description of the invention using bust cup '11 as illustrative thereof.

24 between corner 21 and 22 is gene forming to, and overlapping the outer side edge of bust cup 11.

' ally drawn by said elastic bands 15, assumes a position along the side edge of bust cup 11 without in any way substantially afiecting or exerting a pulling force on bust cup 11. As side portion 20 is drawn taut, the pulling force exerted upon corner 21 is related directly to arm 18 of inverted V tab '16, so that such pulling force upon shoulder straps 19 is avoided and digging of such shoulder straps 19 into the fleshy shoulder area of the body is avoided.

Where a brassiere of the character described is provided with a medial portion 50 between bust cups 11, 12 which extends below said bust cups 11, 12 to a mid point along the bottom edge thereof, as illustrated in FIG. 5,

an elastic tab 51 is provlded, connecting the edge of said medial portion at its terminal below the bust cup, and corner 22 of said side portion 20.

The brassiere '10 may likewise be adapted as a strapless garment, as illustrated in FIG. 5, in which case, corner '21 of side portion 20 is secured by stitching to a point medially the upper edge of said bust cup 11.

The brassiere 10 of the present invention may further be modified to allow'removability of the shoulder straps by providing securing means allowing for the removal and/0r replacement of inverted V tab and removal of corner 21 therefrom. In the aforementioned case, upon the removal of corner 21 from bust cup 11, such corner may be concealed behind elastic band 15, thus converting said brassiere to a strapless garment. 7 e

, Attachment of corner 23 to elastic band may be by the use of adjustable securing means whereby relative flaccid adjustment of the triangularside portion may be achieved to suit the particular desires of a wearer.

The brassiere '10,'as thus described, may be worn with straps or may be worn as a strapless garment but in any case, once elastic bands are extended, causing side portion 20 to become taut against the fleshy underarm area of the body, the pulling force created by the elastic bands 15 is transmitted to the shoulder straps 19 and the elastic tab 51 forming part of the medial port-ion of the brassiere, leaving bust cups 11 completely free of such pull; Likewise,

where the'one corner 22 is directly. secured to the bust cup 11, as illustrated in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4,such pulling force is greatly reduced since no attachment obtains along the entire side'edge of cup 11 as is normally the casein the standard garment.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limitedrto embodiments described and illustrated in the drawing, but various embodiments and adaptations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the 7 present invention as herein described and defined.

It is further to be understood that the present invention may be used in bust sections, as for example, in swim suits, corselets, halters, and slips.

I claim:

' 1. Abust-encircling garment comprising: f (a) -a pair of bust cups;

(b) means separating said bust cups; 7 f '(c) body-encircling bands secured to the outer edges of each of said bust cups; 1 '(d) a substantially three-cornered triangular side portion partially overlying each of said body encircling bands and said bust cups along the outer perimeter thereof; Y a

(e) said side portions, at one corner thereof, being detachably secured to said bust cups medially at the top edge thereof;

(f) a second corner of said side portions being secured to said bust cups at a point medially along the bottom edge thereof; and

(g) a third corner of said side portions being secured to said body-encircling bands at a point outwardly from the outer edge of said bust cups.

2. A bust-encircling garment comprising:

(a) a pair of bust cups;

(b) means separating said bust cups;

(0) body-encircling bands secured to the outer edges of each of said bust cups;

(d) a substantially three-cornered triangular side portion partially overlaying each of said body-encircling bands and said bust-cups along the outer perimeter thereof;

(e) a pair of substantially V-shaped tabs;

( one arm of said tabs being secured to said bust cups at a point medially of the upper edge thereof;

(g) the other arm of said tabs'being detachably secured to one corner of said side portions;

(h) a second corner'of said side portions being secured to said bust cups at a point medially along the bottom edge thereof;

(i) a third corner of said side portions being secured to said body-encircling bands at a point outwardly from the outer edges of said bust cups;

(j) shoulder straps, one end of which is secured to said V tabs at the apex thereof; and

(k) said shoulder straps at the other end thereof being secured to said body-encircling bands at the rear thereof.

3. A bust-encircling garment comprising: 7

(a) a pair of bust cups;

(b) means separating said bust .cups;

(0) body-encircling bands secured to the outer edges of each of said bust cups;

, (d) shoulder straps secured atone end thereof to said a bust cups medially at a point along the upper edge thereof; w V

(e) the other end of said shoulder straps being secured to said body-encircling bands at the rear thereof;

( a substantially three-cornered triangular side portion partially overlaying each of said body-encircling bands and said bust cups along the outer perimeter thereof;

a (g). said side portions, at one corner thereof, being detachably secured to said shoulder straps at a point 7 above the upper edge of said bust cups;

(h) a second corner of said side portions being secured to said bust cups'at a point medially along the bottom edge thereof; and a v V (i) a third corner of said side portions being secured to said body-encircling bands at a point outwardly from the'outer edge of said bust cups.

ReferencesCited in the file of this patent J V g UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,400,499

. Gerace May 21, 1946 2,485,313 Rabinowitz Oct. 18, 1949 2,703,886 Lo Cascio May 15, 1955 2,713,683 Krieger July 26,195 2,835,255 Becker May 20, 1958 

